Health committee  I would like to add that a study was done in Quebec when the plan was introduced in 1997. In its first version, the plan provided that people entitled to free access to drugs, including social assistance recipients, would now have to pay the required deductible and co-insurance.

Health committee  This is a very important question that you're asking. I think this is one that we did tackle historically as a country. Don't forget that the Constitution says hospitals are under the jurisdiction of the provinces. It's specifically written, yet we did manage to implement a public health care system across the country, respecting the Constitution and the jurisdiction of the provinces.

Health committee  Yes, I could add something, Ms. Sansoucy. So, without getting into the numbers, there's something you need to understand. If a universal drug plan was set up, it wouldn't necessarily cost the government more. The public portion, as Marc-Andrée explained, is already largely subsidized or funded by the public.

Health committee  I will continue, Mr. Chair. My name is Marie-Claude Prémont. I am a full professor at the École nationale d'administration publique in Montreal, where I teach health and social services law, among other things. I would like to thank the committee for inviting me to appear. I am pleased to tell you about Quebec's pharmacare system.